PathHopeful

Hi everyone! I'll be starting my PhD in Biophysics in the fall, and am wondering when the appropriate time is to start emailing PIs about rotations. I already know which PIs I want to ask for a rotation position with, but is it too early to send those emails? The program website says that a list of labs hosting rotation students will be given out (doesn't say when though) and additional guidance will be provided by advisors during orientation week, but I have a feeling the labs I'm interested in are going to be highly sought after, hence my wanting to ask early. Do most people wait until orientation week to choose their rotation labs?! Side note: I'm locked in at my current job until the end of August, so I can't do a summer rotation- I'll spend my whole first year doing my three rotations, one each quarter. However, I currently work in a lab on campus at the university where I'm going for grad school, so emailing early and meeting with PIs early is still an option for me. If any current/former science PhD students could share their timeline or any other experiences with asking for lab rotations, I'd really really appreciate it!!!

The priority deadline is 1/15 and the general deadline is something like 4/1, but you have to submit by 1/15 to be considered for fellowships and whatnot

Has anyone had any experience meeting or speaking with POIs before receiving an interview decision from the program? After submitting my applications I shot out a couple of emails, and to my surprise I actually got a response from a POI at UCLA saying that he'd be happy to meet and discuss how he "can be of help to my interest/career". I was hoping to have gotten the official interviews invitation or admissions rejection email from the school before the meeting, but now that's not looking likely. So now I'm not sure how to approach this meeting. I've spent the last few hours powering through a few of his recent publications, but he works in neurosurgery so a lot of it went over my head. He told me that his lab does have the capacity for a new grad student (which I'm assuming is why he emailed me back in the first place), but since I don't have any info on my application status, I really don't know what to ask him. I obviously can't cancel the meeting given that if I do get the official interview invite he'd be my top choice PI, so any advice on questions to ask him/topics of conversation/etc. would be very much appreciated! I'm hoping that if he likes me, this meeting will help me get that official interview and potentially even an acceptance down the road...

Undergrad Institution: Cal State Long Beach (undergrad)/UCLA Extension (post-bacc)Major: Molecular Cell Biology & Physiology/Pre-Med & General Science CertificateMinors:Chemistry, Pure Mathematics/noneGPA in Major: 2.76/3.35Overall GPA: 2.97/3.48Type of Student: Domestic, female, non-minorityGRE Scores:Q: 161V:155W: 4.0Research Experience: 2.5 years in two different CSULB labs as an undergrad 9 months full-time employment in a UCLA lab post-grad current (3 months so far) full-time employee in a UCI lab Applying to Where & Results so far: UC Irvine - Cellular and Molecular Sciences Gateway - interview UC Irvine - Environmental Health Sciences - interview University of Washington - Physiology & Biophysics - rejected University of Washington - Molecular Mechanisms of Disease (M3D) - rejected UCLA - Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology - still waiting UC Davis - Integrative Pathobiology - still waiting

Hi everyone! So I'm seeing results start to get posted for other bio programs at UCLA but haven't seen/heard anything for Molecular, Cellular & Integrative Physiology... Does anyone have any experience/information about this program's timeline? The website just says "interviews will be in February". For those who also applied to a physiology program at any UC, what did your stats look like?